Admitting Defeat, New Beginnings and Photos

Haha so mum was right (as usual)

There was no way I could keep this up once I'd gone back to uni etc. So I propose to update recipes here when I think they are good enough for you lovely viewers :)

They should all (hopefully) be healthy from now on as I do not want to keep piling on the pounds.

oooo and heres a few photos from the photoshoot that I was telling you all about :)

Laura xo

22nd - Pancakes with strawberries and lemon

Pancakes are always a winner, a variety of tasty options for the fillings, I went for the healthy option for once.

Ingredients

• Self-raising flour (8oz)
• Milk (7 floz)
• Sugar (3oz)
• eggs (2)
• pinch of salt
• olive oil
• lemon (squeezed)
• sugar (4tsps)
• Strawberries (handful, Chopped)

Method

1. Mix flour, milk, sugar, eggs and salt well and leave to settle
2. Add oil to pan and pour in batter mix
3. Leave on a medium heat and flip once bubbles appear on the surface
4. Cook until brown
5. Do this until all the mix is finished
6. mix lemon, strawberries and sugar and add to pancakes
7. Enjoy

Photographs

In the frying pan 

 Flower shaped case (not ideal for cooking)

 All the pancakes

NomNomNom

Ease:       (8/10)

Taste:      (8/10)

Look:      (8/10)

Overall:    (24/30)

Other options for fillings could include, cream, nutella, other fruits or ice cream yum.

Laura xo

21st - Thai Style Chicken Stir Fry

This was very quick and easy but I had a little cheat with a pre made sauce as it was cheaper in ASDA. 


Ingredients

• 1 bag of egg noodles
• Chicken breast (2 - diced)
• large red chilli (chopped into slices)
• ASDA Thai Sauce
• Mixed vegetables - butternut squash, carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, mange tout
• Olive Oil (splash)

Method

• Mix the chicken and chilli and cook in a large frying pan until chicken is fully cooked
• add mixed vegetables and cook for a further 3 minutes
• add noodles and cook for another 2 minutes
• add thai sauce and cook for another 2 minutes stirring well.
• Plate up

Photographs

Chilli Chicken

Noodles

My Wee Cheat

All the ingredients without the sauce

Heating in the pan

Finished product

This was a good meal, yet another chicken dish, what can I say I'm a lover. The crunchy vegetables made a good texture change from the noodles.

Ease       (9/10)

Taste       (8/10)

Look        (6/10)

Overall:    (23/30)

Laura xo

20th - Black Pudding, Apple and Smoked Cheese

I was a bit sceptical about this one, put Jace said he had had something similar when he was younger and yet again, I was lucky I trusted his judgement...all I can say is this may of been the best meal yet. P.S photoshoot went well but by god it is VERY expensive to get pictures from it.


Ingredients

• Cider (decent swig)
• Black Pudding (4 normal sized slices)
• Cooking Apple (sliced into segments)
• Oil (enough to cover pan)
• Smoked Cheese (2 slices)

Method

1. Cook black pudding and set aside in oven to keep warm
2. Add apples to the same pan and cook until browned set aside - also in oven
3. Add cider to the same pan and reduce
4. Serve black pudding and apple and add the smoked cheese
5. Pour over the reduced cider
6. Enjoy

Photographs

 Simplistic ingredients

Yummy Finished Product

This meal was so good and would make for a nice change to a starter (mum - for your dinner parties) yet again, good call Jace.

Ease:        (10/10)

Look :      (9/10)

Taste:       (10/10)

Overall:     (29/30)

This will definitely be a hard one to beat!

Laura xo

 

19th - Chicken Tikka

So today has been a mad rush also, I'm away to a photoshoot with my friends Elaine and Louise for Elaine's 21st. Trust me to have a cracker of a spot which makes me look like I've been in a boxing match oh the joys. Anyway I will upload some of the resultant shots here once we have them :)


This meals is one of my favourite curry meals as it is very simple to make and uber scrummy.


Ingredients

• Chicken breasts ( 2 - diced into cubes)
• Tomato Passata (such a handy ingredient)
• Tomatoes (3 cut into 1/6ths)
• Pattaks Tikka Masala Curry Paste (Half Jar)
• Onion (1 large)
• Chilli (2)
• Ginger ( thumb of)
• Coriander (small bunch)
• Honey (2tbs)
• lemon (half)
• balsamic vinegar (1tbs)
• Rice (for 2)
• Butter (knob)
• Olive Oil (2tbs)

Method

1. Boil enough rice for 2
2. Cook off the onions, ginger, coriander and chilli in a pan with the oil and butter.
3. Add the chicken and heat until meat is sealed
4. Add curry paste, balsamic vinegar, honey and stir well
5. Add the tomato passata, tomatoes and lemon and simmer for 40 minutes
6. Salt and Pepper to season
7. Serve hot

Photographs

NomNom the finished product

This meal was so tasty - I do love a curry and wasn't too hot. I also like the fact that home made curries are considerably more healthy than take outs - and pre made micro meals.

Ease:          (8/10)

Look:           (8/10)

Taste:         (10/10)

Overall:       (26/30)

Anyway I better go and finished getting all  my clothes together, and then I have work after *sigh*. Tomorrow I've decided is dedicated upload day, so get ready for a lot of meals :)

Laura xo

18th - Tuna Fish Cakes, Cous-Cous and a Tomato Sauce

 This meal takes a bit of preparation but is extremely filling and very nice.

Ingredients

• Parsley (handful finely chopped)
• Tuna (2 tins)
• Potatoes (10oz, washed and diced)
• Butter (1tbs)
• 2 eggs (beaten
• Chicken Stock Cube
• CousCous (for 2)
• Lemon (half the juice)
• Boiling Water (enough to cover couscous)
• Red Pepper (cut into squares)
• Tomato Passata

Method

1. Boil and mash the potatoes
2. Add butter, tuna, egg, lemon and parsley and mix well.
3. Put mixture into fridge to cool for 30 mins
4. Place cous cous in a bowl and add boiling water (add stock cube to boiling water)
5. Cover in cling film and place in microwave for 3 minutes
6. Once cooked add the peppers
7. Take mixture out of the fridge and shape into patties
8. Cover in bread crumbs
9. Fry to seal, grill until cooked through
10. Heat up tomato passata until hot
11. Plate up cous cous, fish cakes and add tomato passata to taste

Photographs

Tomato Passata

Cous-Cous with red pepper

Fish Cake Patties

Fish Cakes Frying

Final Dish

This meal was surprisingly tasty , although I do have to work on my plating up skills.

Ease:          (6/10)

Look:           (7/10)

Taste:         (10/10)

Overall:       (23/30)

Anyway got to scoot to go and pick up Jace's wee sis, so won't be putting up another meal (curry) until I get home from work at 2am :S oh the joys.

Laura xo

17th - Leek and Potato Soup

This meal is very easy to make, with only 4 ingredients. Although it takes a while to cook, you can do other things when it is. Great when you have a million things to do, as I always do.


Ingredients

• Leeks (3 large, washed and chopped)
• Butter (2oz)
• Potatoes (12oz, washed and diced)
• Chicken Stock Cubes (2)
• Boiling Water (850mL)

Method

1. Add half the butter and the leeks to a large pan
2. Cook for 10 mins on a low heat stirring occasionally
3. Add the potatoes
4. Add the stock cubes to the boiling water and mix well
5. Add the mixture to the pan and bring to the boil
6. Leave simmering for 30-40 mins, stirring every now and again
7. Either blend, mash or leave as whole chunks
8. Add the rest of the butter
9. Add salt and pepper to taste
10. Plate up

Photographs

Leeks cooking in the butter

Once everything has been added

The final product - not the most appealing looking but very tasty.

I made this originally as a starter but it was so filling that it done as a main meal. Have with crusty bread as an extra. 

Ease:          (9/10)

Look:           (5/10)

Taste:         (8/10)

Overall:       (22/30)

Laura xo

16th - Red Pepper, Tuna and Cheese Pasta.

Nice and simple meal here... as you have probably guessed I am a pasta lover. I also had work this day so was in a  rush so quickest = best.

Ingredients:

• Pasta for 2
• Pepper (diced into squares)
• Tuna (1 tin)
• Mayonnaise (2tbs)
• Tikka Curry Paste (1tbs)
• Cheese (grated, handful)

Method:

1. Cook pasta
2. Add pepper, tuna, mayonnaise and curry paste.
3. Mix well and serve.

Photographs

 Peppers - one of my favourite vegetables

 All the ingredients added to the pan

The final dish

This is a very simple dish and the curry paste adds a different flavour. I like the peppers raw as it adds a different texture to the dish.

Ease:          (10/10)

Look:           (6/10)

Taste:          (8/10)

Overall:       (24/30)

Laura xo

Hello Again ... I'm Back (non stressed)

Hello again,

I thought I better write a little update, just incase you all think I've disappeared. Exams are finally over, all hand ins are in, and now its just the wait to see if I have passed eeeek.

A few people have asked over the past few days where are all the recipes. Well I have all the pics ready from the past few weeks I just have to upload them all.

So I will try and upload at least 2 per day, more if I can manage - with uni and work etc.

Laura xo